The Oxford Oxyrhynchus papyri online

THE AWOL BLOG: The Oxyrhynchus Papyri Database.

This database presents digitised images of the published papyri belonging to the Egypt Exploration Society and housed in the Sackler Library at Oxford. The collection comprises thousands of texts on papyrus and parchment and is the largest of its kind in the world. It includes principally literary, documentary, and other texts in Greek, dating from the second century BCE to the seventh century CE; other languages represented include Latin, Demotic, and Coptic. Most of the papyri come from excavations conducted at the site of Oxyrhynchus (modern Behnesa) by Oxford classicists Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt in 1896–1907 on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society). Since then, scholars have worked continuously to catalogue, decipher, and publish this material.

The site of the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus is best known for its trove of many thousands of ancient papyri found in a trash dump. For many posts on it and them, start here and just follow those links. For the missing Oxyrhynchus papyri scandal, see here and links. Cross-file under Oxyrhynchus Watch.

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Intensive agriculture in the Byzantine-era Negev

ARCHAEOLOGY: Making the Negev Bloom: The Byzantines Did It First. Archaeological survey finds not the odd isolated farm but intense agriculture in Israel’s Negev desert in the Byzantine period, between the 2nd and 6th centuries (Nir Hasson, Haaretz).

The archaeologists behind the survey hoped for insight into two questions about the Byzantine Negev. How did the arid southern desert became so prosperous back then? And why did the good times end?

A long and informative article on the survey.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the recent archaeology of the late-antique Negev, see the links collected here, plus here and here. For a couple of important, slightly later discoveries in the region, see here.

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Update on the Phoenicia's Atlantic voyage

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Phoenicians Sailing to the New World. Did Phoenicians beat Christopher Columbus to the Americas by thousands of years? (Jonathan Laden).

I noted this BHD essay back in October of 2019. It dealt with a new expedition of the Good Ship Phoenicia in the direction of the Americas to try to establish that such a voyage was possible in an ancient Phoenician ship.

I had not heard the result of the expedition until now. The updated essay reports:

The Phoenicia, after 39 days at sea, did in fact reach the Dominican Republic on December 31st, 2019. Even if the actual Phoenicians never reached the Americas, the journey demonstrates their impressive boat-building skills, and their capability to have done so. There is good reason they were famous mariners.

Follow the link above for background on this story, the earlier voyage of the Phoenicia around Africa, and the whole question of whether the Phoenicians reached the New World.

The short answer to the question is, their boats were physically capable of making the journey. It is possible that they did. But there is no positive evidence that they ever got that far. Supposed Phoenician (and ancient Hebrew) inscriptions in the New World have not been credibly authenticated.

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Macatangay & Ruiz-Ortiz (eds.), Ben Sira in Conversation with Traditions (De Gruyter)

NEW BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Ben Sira in Conversation with Traditions
A Festschrift for Prof. Núria Calduch-Benages on the Occasion of Her 65th Birthday

Edited by: Francis M. Macatangay and Francisco-Javier Ruiz-Ortiz
Together with: Renate Egger-Wenzel

Volume 47 in the series Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110762181

PDF £100.00

Hardcover £100.00

eBook
Published: August 1, 2022
ISBN: 9783110762181

Hardcover
Published: August 1, 2022
ISBN: 9783110761979

About this book

This volume of essays on Ben Sira is a Festschrift on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Prof. Nuria Calduch-Benages.

The volume gathers the latest studies on Ben Sira's relationship with other Jewish traditions. With a variety of methods and approaches, the volume explores Ben Sira's interpretation of received traditions, his views on the prevailing issues of his time, and the subsequent reception of his work.

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Revival of the Coptic language?

COPTIC WATCH: Preserving the Coptic Language. Many Egyptians are trying to revive the lingual link to their past (Lydia Wilson, New Lines Magazine).

From the hieroglyphs on the walls of tombs to the Greek letters on a keyboard today, the language of Egypt has survived — just — through millennia, expressing different belief systems and cultural norms, written in many different scripts. It has mostly endured through the Coptic Church, with its services, prayers and Sunday school lessons. But there is no doubt — as seen in Maurice’s home — that it can be used for everyday life. Whether it flourishes in this living form is down to a fringe group but one that hopes to spread the word, literally.

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Frankfurter interview on ancient magic

THE COPTIC MAGIC PAPYRI BLOG: Podcast #12: Talking Ancient Magic with David Frankfurter.

In this episode, the well-known scholar of ancient Mediterranean religion David Frankfurter not only introduces the into the basic questions concerning magic in the ancient world, but also shares his memories of magic studies during their revival in the 1990’s. David Frankfurter specializes in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, magical texts, popular religion, and Egypt in the Roman and late antique periods. ...

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Revival of the Hakhel ceremony?

FOR SUKKOT: The ancient Jewish practice of hakhel, an every-7-years gathering, gets a 21st-century revival (Jackie Hajdenberg).

(JTA) — Every seven years, in ancient times, Jewish men, women, and children would gather at the Temple on the first day of Sukkot to hear the king of Jerusalem read aloud from the Torah.

In 2022, there’s no king and no Temple, and more than half of all Jews live far from Jerusalem — but the ritual is still inspiring Jews around the world to gather together. In fact, the tradition, known as hakhel, appears to be seeing a resurgence of popular interest.

[...]

This article focuses on the contemporary situation and is vague about the historical background. Our information about the ancient Hakhel ("Assemble!" - imperative verb) ceremony comes from Deuteronomy 31:9-12 and Mishnah Sotah 7.8.

I noted an essay on the Hakhel ceremony by Aaron Demsky in TheTorah.com here. Another, by Marc Zvi Brettler, is here.

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Harland et al., website on Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World

PHILIP HARLAND: Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World. Another useful website/blog by Professor Philip A. Harland (and collaborators), this one drawn to my attention by David Meadows at Rogue Classicism. I have mentioned it long ago under another name. I am happy to see it is still thriving. It is now added to my blogroll.

“Ethnographic culture,” as we intend it, moves beyond the idea of “ethnography” as a Greek and Roman literary genre describing non-Greek and non-Roman peoples (“barbarians”). Instead, ethnographic culture refers to the ways in which the classification and description of “other peoples” was an active imagination that played out in large-scale and small-scale ways across societies, in local social interactions, and in connection with diasporic communities of immigrants. Judeans (Jews) and Jesus adherents (Christians) were very much a part of this larger sphere of ethnic encounters, so they have a place here too as instances of minorities (see especially categories 1 and 5).

This website then combines literary, epigraphic, and visual data in order to aid students and researchers in a fuller understanding of ethnographic culture. It also facilitates the reconstruction of minoritized ethnic groups spread across time (from the fifth century BCE to the sixth century CE) and geography (across the Mediterranean and near east).

There are many posts on matters of interest to PaleoJudaica.

Some PaleoJudacia posts on Professor Harland's books and websites are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Sukkot Temple pilgrimage in antiquity

ARCHAEOLOGY: Sukkot: Uncovering the ancient pilgrimage to the Temple Mount. Pilgrimages to the Temple Mount were a central aspect of Sukkot in biblical times. Discoveries along the pilgrimage road in Jerusalem’s City of David shed light on this oft-forgotten custom (Aaron Reich, Jerusalem Post).

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Which Temple gate was "Beautiful?"

LEEN RITMEYER: The Beautiful Gate. What was so beautiful about it?

The miracle [of Acts 3:2, 10] took place at the Beautiful Gate [to the Temple], but the question is, which gate is the Scripture referring to and how can it be identified? There were at least seven gates in the outer walls of Herod’s Temple Mount, but only in one of these gates have decorations been found.

Cross-file under Temple Mount Watch.

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Sukkot 2022

THE SEVEN-DAY FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT (BOOTHS, TABERNACLES) begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all those observing it.

Last year's Sukkot post was here. More recent relevant posts are here and here. For the biblical background to Sukkot, see here and here.

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Review of Gray, Charity in Rabbinic Judaism

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Charity in Rabbinic Judaism (Dov Kahane).

Alyssa M Gray. Charity in Rabbinic Judaism: Atonement, Rewards, and Righteousness. (Routledge, 2019. Pp. 214. ISBN 978-1-138-5996-3)

... In sum, Gray is a careful and intuitive reader and teacher of rabbinic text creating cogent and compelling arguments which support her conclusions about the interplay and shift in rabbinic values and theology on charity. ...

For more on Professor Gray's book and on books on related topics, see here.

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Evidence for 1st century synagogue at Chorazin?

THE HOLY LAND PHOTOS' BLOG: A First Century Synagogue at Chorazin? (Carl Rassmussen).

When visiting the 4th-6th century synagogue at Chorazin, typically the question is asked “where is the synagogue that Jesus preached in?” Up until two years ago, the answer was, “we don’t know.”

Carl also has an update post here with additional photos.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Korazim, the site of the ancient city of Chorazin, which is mentioned in the New Testament Gospels, see here and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

How long did Gedaliah govern in conquered Judea?

PROF. DAN'EL KAHN: How Long Did Gedaliah Govern before He Was Assassinated? (TheTorah.com).

After destroying Jerusalem and taking the king captive, Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah, a former royal steward, as the governor of Judah. But Ishmael, a scion of the royal family, conspires with Baalis, king of Ammon, assassinates Gedaliah, and kills the Babylonian soldiers stationed in Judah. How did Nebuchadnezzar respond?

As alway, I would advise robust skepticism concerning unprovenanced bullae.

The discovery of another stele of Pharaoh Apries (Hophra) was announced in 2021. I haven't heard any more about its decipherment.

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Fragments of a lost Yerushalmi tractate?

THE GENIZA FRAGMENTS BLOG: Q&A Wednesday: Recovering the lost Yerushalmi, with Elyashiv Cherlow.

These really are tiny fragments, just a few centimetres! What is their significance?

The Jerusalem Talmud wasn’t transmitted well, and there’s only one surviving complete copy of it – written in Italy at the end of the 13th century. It’s not a very good manuscript. The Genizah fragments are therefore very important for the textual history of the Yerushalmi. A couple of years ago, Yaacov Sussmann’s Ginze Yerushalmi was published, which brings together all the Genizah fragments of the Jerusalem Talmud. It’s an incredibly useful publication.

The tiny Geniza fragments in question appear to be from the lost Avodah Zarah tractate of the Yerushalmi.

Cross-file under Jerusalem Talmud and Palestinian Talmud. For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Yerushalmi, start here and follow the links. And for many posts on Lost Books, start here and follow the links.

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PSCO 60 (2022-23)

THE PHILADEPHIA SEMINAR ON CHRISTIAN ORIGINS has announced its 2022-23 lineup: Schedule PSCO 60 | Comparison in Late Antique Religions.

The speakers are set, but most of the topics remain TBA. The sessions will take place on Zoom. Follow the link for details.

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Exhibition coming on the Sardis Synagogue

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE: Monumental synagogue emerges from ancient ruins in Turkey. Relics from the largest known synagogue of antiquity will go on display next year in a museum in western Turkey (Murat Erdin, Al-Monitor).

MANISA, Turkey — A museum in western Turkey will soon exhibit artifacts from the largest known synagogue of the ancient world, uncovered fully after six decades of American-led excavations at what was once the seat of power of the fabulously rich King Croesus. ...

The synagogue, 120 meters long and 18 meters wide, was the center of Jewish religious life at Sardis during the late Roman period. Nearby Jewish cemeteries of more recent ages are the testament of a long Jewish presence in the region. About 50,000 Jews lived in Ottoman western Anatolia in the mid-19th century, including 2,000 in and around Manisa. No Jewish population remains today after migration during the First and Second World Wars and after the creation of Israel.

[...]

For more on the Sardis synagogue, its current restoration, and the ancient Jewish community in Sardis, start here and follow the links

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Ben Ezra Synagogue is 95% restored

CAIRO GENIZA WATCH: Egypt set to open Ben Ezra Synagogue. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced its intention to open the ancient Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo soon, after completing about 95% of restoration works, in a move aimed at revitalizing religious tourism (Ahmed Gomaa, Al-Monitor).

As regular readers are aware, the Ben Ezra Synagogue contains the Cairo Geniza, a major source of medieval Middle Eastern Jewish manuscripts.

To be clear — and the article isn't — the Geniza no longer contains those manuscripts. It was emptied in the late nineteenth century and the manuscripts were moved elsewhere, especially, but not exclusively, to Cambridge and New York.

For background on the Ben Ezra Synagogue and its restoration, see here and links.

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Does Yom Kippur atone for intentional sins according to the Bible?

FOR YOM KIPPUR: Does an Intentional Sinner Attain Atonement? (Prof. Rabbi David Frankel, TheTorah.com).

Leviticus 16 describes how the scapegoat ritual on Yom Kippur attains atonement for all of Israel’s sins, even acts of rebellion. Numbers 15, however, states that a person who sins unintentionally can bring an offering and be forgiven, but the person who sins intentionally is cut off from the people.

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Yom Kippur 2022

YOM KIPPUR, the Day of Atonement, begins this evening at sundown. An easy and healthy fast to all those observing it.

Last year's post on Yom Kippur is here, with links to previous posts and one subsequent one. Biblical etc. background is here and links. For a recent post on the Akitu Festival, to which some have drawn parallels with Yom Kippur, see here.

UPDATE (5 October): More here.

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